Fourth of July
by smiles1116
Summary: Fourth of July celebration with a few Naruto characters - Kiba, Kankuro, Gaara, Deidara, Tobi, Temari, and Shikamaru - as well as my and another's OCs - Aria and Anika -.
1. Planning and Messing with the Guys

"Talk to me!" I shout over the (LOUD) music in the background. Escape the Fate is blasting through my stereo, which may or may not recover from this over-exuberant maximum volume rendition of "Situations," soon to be closely followed by Taking Back Sunday's "One-Eighty by Summer." I surprisingly can't hear the little voice on the phone over the song, so I, rather reluctantly, turn the music down.

"Okay, NOW talk to me!" I say, slightly irritated. I can still barely make out the voice over the ringing in my ears, but I can tell what's being said. Anika is saying something about a stupid family holiday thing. I can't blame her.

"I mean, really, it's ONLY the fourth of July! Why do I have to spend it with my family?"

"I agree! And I have a solution! Since your family gets every other holiday with you and I claim joint custody, I get you on Saturday! We are going to find something to do! And I know JUST what we are going to do!" I holler. I know I don't have to yell, but hey, I feel like I'm underwater from lack of sound.

"And just WHAT are you planning, Aria?" Anika asks. "And stop grinning maniacally."

"How do you know I'm grinning maniacally?" I ask, peering out each window in turn.

"I can practically HEAR it!"

"Okay, then YOU have to stop, too, Anika," I say.

"Fine."

"And I can't tell you what I'm planning yet. I'll see you Saturday at my house around seven. Sound good? That way your family has you for the processed meat products and I get you for the rest of the night! Agreed?"

"You're a genius! See you Saturday!"

I hang up the phone with Anika and immediately go into frenzied-dialing mode. I pull a number out of the convenient and random phone book with access to any and every number you have never wanted (until now)! I feel like I'm waiting for hours before I hear an answer after four rings.

"Why do we even have a phone, un?" A slight pause occurs. "What do you want, yeah?"

"Best buddy Deidara, how ARE you?!" I squeal into the phone.

"Aria? How'd you get this number, un?"

"It's good to hear from you, too," I say sarcastically.

"Sorry, I was just surprised is all. So, you need me to blow someone up, yeah?"

"No, I just want to know if you have plans on Saturday around seven?"

"Not that I can think of, un. Why?"

"Wrong! Now you do! You're coming to my house, and make sure you bring PLENTY of ammunition!"

"You're grinning maniacally again, aren't you?"

"But of course."

"And why?"

"Because it's our favorite holiday! Why else? And there's kidnapping involved!"

"Awesome, un! And who are we kidnapping and why, yeah?" Deidara sounds excited now.

"Anika from a totally LAME family get together with processed pork and various other products of DOOM!! And you'll bring a good boy with you!"

"I'll bring Tobi with me? Why, un?"

"Because you just said you would! And Tobi's a good boy and is lots of fun! Plus, imagine HIM with a sparkler dancing around a bunch of highly explosive things in the middle of the night. Can you say boom?" I start cracking up from the mental image I've just created.

"You're right, yeah. I'll see you Saturday," Deidara says, "with Tobi, un."

I hear a squishing followed by voices in the background (indicated by italics).

_"Deidara-sempai, Tobi is a good boy! Tobi brought your clay!"_

_"Thanks Tobi. Wait, where did you get this clay? I didn't have this much in my bags, un."_

_"Tobi smashed Aria so sempai would have more to give to Tobi to play with!"_

_"Damn you Tobi! You are NOT a good boy, un!"_

There's a brief scuffle, a loud crash, and a long pause as Deidara picks up the phone again. "If I don't kill him first, yeah."

"Deidara, what did Tobi mean when he said he smashed me?"

"Umm…. GottogoseeyouSaturdayAriabye!" The line went dead. Shaking my head, I pull out my normal phonebook. I flip to the N's and dial a number. The phone is answered, but the only thing resembling a greeting is a brief, low-pitched grunt.

"Hey, you officially have no plans on Saturday at five. You're coming to my house, so spend the rest of the day sleeping, okay Shikamaru?"

"Whatever."

"Good. Now go back to sleep. Love yous!"

I hang up the phone, knowing that if I had told him to be there by seven, he'd have been about two hours late. Smart, right? I toss the phonebook aside, since I have the next two numbers memorized. The phone starts ringing, and there are many noises in the background as the phone is answered. The loudest – other than barking – is of a woman yelling, presumably at the male who answer the phone.

"WHAT?!"

"Geeze, Kiba, never mind!" I say, about to hang up the phone.

"Aww, no, I'm sorry, Aria. Onii-chan's on my tail about picking up Akamaru's chew toys when he's done chewing, plus the slobber, you know? Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Well, Kibbles, I want to know if you have plans Saturday night?"

"N… Well, of course I do! But for you, I can cancel them! What's going on?"

"Nothing much," I say. I can tell he didn't have plans, but I'll play along. He's in love with me, but he won't admit it. Actually, I think he's the ONLY one who doesn't know that I know he's totally in love with me. Poor boy. I guess it's going to be like Hinata finding out that Naruto knew she loved him all along and just went along with it, pretending he didn't know. Except Naruto actually IS just that dense. "I just wondered if you'd want to do something with me around seven?"

"Sure, baby! Where are we going?" He sounds excited now. Stifling laughter at his Naruto-like enthusiasm, I answer him.

"My place. Make sure you bring Akamaru, okay, cutie?" Since I told him to bring Akamaru, I had to stroke his ego a little, right?

"Sure thing!" He pauses. "Are you sure you don't want me sooner? You know, like an hour, or a day or two?"

"Kibaaaa! I have to get everything ready first, silly!" Man, I'm SO good at hitting his nerves! I can practically hear him panting now! And there goes his leg, thumping away! "Tell Hana-chan and casa-san I said hello!"

"Sure thing!" A dull but loud thud rings through the phone's speaker. "Aaawoooo! Hana-chan! That hurt!"

"I said get off the phone," Hana yells, "and clean up Akamaru's slobber!"

"Arf ruff, bark bark bark!"

"What? Some of it's Kiba's? From WHAT?!" She yells, clearly exasperated. "What could possibly make Kiba drool…."

"Bark bark, arf!"

"What? He was drooling over a picture of Ari-oof!" You heard a war cry followed by what sounded like Kiba tackling Hana and Akamaru. Another brief scuffle is heard before Kiba speaks again.

"Heh, sorry about that, _Aria_," he says, emphasizing my name.

"No problem! ANYway, see you Saturday, Kibbles!"

"Yeah, see you."

I hang up the phone, cracking up when I know he can't hear me anymore. Of course, I live next door, so he can probably hear me anyway, since I'm probably laughing loudly enough. I put my fingers to my lips and whistle for Akamaru, too high-pitched for Kiba to hear. A few minutes pass, and he comes bounding in through my doggy door – installed especially for him AND Kiba! (*grins*)

"Hey, Akamaru!" I receive a "woof" in response. I can understand most of what he says, since my bloodline has traces of wolf ancestors in it. I have fangs for canines and heightened senses, and my eyes turn a golden color in the winter. Any other time, they're a cerulean blue. My strawberry-blonde hair – the highlights ARE natural – sheds a lot in the summer but stays extremely thick in the winter. I also have an uncanny wolf-like elegance and grace when I walk and fight… until I, inevitably, make a clumsy fool out of myself and fall flat on my face and/or rump. Yeah, I'm more accident-prone than Archie Andrews.

"So, you were telling me and Hana-chan what before Kiba rudely interrupted your tattling?" I say, grinning. "Was it REALLY a picture of me, buddy?"

Akamaru sneezes, a sure sign for a "yes." I grin.

"I KNEW it. So, Saturday isn't a date. Deidara, Tobi, and I are kidnapping Anika-" I begin before Akamaru interrupts me fitfully.

"I KNOW they're the bad guys, but come one! It's the fourth of July, and who better do you know for pyrotechnics than Deidara, the explosion king himself? Am I right? Plus, imagine TOBI with a sparkler dancing around a bunch of highly explosive things in the middle of the night. Can you say boom?" I start cracking up again, and Akamaru coughs his barking laughter.

"Anyway, we're kidnapping Anika from processed pork products of DOOM and her family at the annual get-together, and we're dragging Shikamaru, Kiba, and hopefully Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari. That reminds me! I still have to call them! So, you better go get Kiba out of trouble, right?"

Akamaru whines, and I laugh. "Of course, of course. I KNOW you don't drool when you play with your chew toys, buddy. Anyway, leave this under Kiba's kunai pouch tonight, okay?"

I chuckle lightly and hand Akamaru a picture of myself from the last time Anika, the whole Konoha and Suna crew, and I went down to the beach. It's an action shot of Anika, Kiba, Kankuro, and me having a two-on-two volleyball tournament in the sand. Gaara, being unbiased, was nice enough to referee for us. Besides, no one dared to argue with his calls! This is one of my favorite pictures, especially since Kankuro and I were kicking Anika and Kiba's rumps! I have to admit, I look REALLY good in that shot in my one-piece and cutoffs. I have an extra copy, so I hand it over to Akamaru.

"Just don't tell him I'm the one giving you all these photos to leave laying around, okay?" I wink and chuckle more as Akamaru wags his tail and takes off. I shake my head and smirk as I pick up the phone and dial Kankuro's number. The phone rings three times before someone answers it.

"Yes?" The impatient voice of everyone's favorite Kazekage comes across the line. I muse that he's in the middle of a huge pile of paperwork and has been interrupted one too many times today.

"Hey Gaara, love. Do you want me to call back later?"

"Aria!" He sounds utterly relieved to hear my voice. "Just what I needed! Please, talk! What can I do for you?"

"Good to hear your voice, too," I chuckle. "Actually, from what I can hear, you need a vacation. Am I right, or am I right?"

"Depends. What kind of 'vacation' do you have in mind?" He asks, also chuckling. The last time he and I took a "vacation," we ended up having to pull a half-nude (aka pant-less! *squeal!* -lol-) Kankuro out of the fourth Hokage's nose in Konoha. That's a LONG story! He had on the boxers I special-ordered for him with paw prints and my favorite flowers (sunflowers) on them. That's an even LONGER story!

"This time, I figured you, Tem, and Kanky could come to my house by Saturday at seven. I'm celebrating the fourth of July!"

"Why? What's so special about that day?"

"Well, I hear people in America blow things up on that day, and I want in on the deal!" Gaara laughs after I give my explanation. "So, are you coming or what?!"

"Of course Aria, love. We'll be there. Who else is coming?"

"Deidara, Tobi, and I are kidnapping Anika from processed pork products of DOOM and her family at their annual get-together, and I've told Shikamaru, Kiba, and Akamaru to also make an appearance. I told Shikamaru to be there by five, so he should be right on time. And Deidara's the best when it comes to explosions, and can you imagine TOBI with a sparkler dancing around a bunch of highly explosive things in the middle of the night. Can you say boom?" I crack up laughing and am pleased to hear Gaara laughing with me.

"You're right, Aria. We'll be there a couple of hours early to help you finish setting up and to make sure Deidara and Tobi actually make it into the village. Sound good?"

"Definitely! You're the best, love!"

"Was there ever a doubt?"

"Not as long as I've known you, Gaara-bear! You've never let me down, and I thank you for that! Anyway, meet Deidara and Tobi at… the fork in the road around five, okay?"

"Will do. Do you want to talk to Kankuro or Temari?"

"Are they busy?"

"Temari's cooking and Kankuro's cleaning his puppets. Who do you want to bother?"

"Hmm… just tell Temari I said hi, since she's cooking, and can you teleport the phone into Black Ant's belly?" I grin widely, knowing that I'll be able to really freak Kankuro out. I hear Gaara chuckle again.

"Of course. See you later, Aria."

"See you, love."

I hear a sifting sound that I identify as sand wrapping around the phone. Soon, I hear a light, muffled squeaking. Knowing that the teleportation has been a success, I sigh loudly.

"I know you get off on these sex games, but isn't it about time you let me out of here Kankuro?!" I yell as loudly as I can into the mouthpiece and hear Kankuro jump in fright.

"Aria?! What the hell?! Where are you?" He sounds frantic.

"Still stuck in your freaking puppet, you piece of crap! You better not have hidden my underwear again!" I hear him pause, probably confused, as he carefully opens the chamber and peeks inside. I start laughing uncontrollably, as I can only imagine the priceless look on his face upon his discovery.

"Aria," he says.

"Yes, my dear?" I ask, panting heavily from laughter.

"You suck." This revelation gets me started again.

"Poor Kankuro! You thought I was SERIOUS, didn't you?!" I exclaim as I laugh; I can only imagine the embarrassed look on his face right about now….

"Aria, can you hurry? I'm in the middle of something here!"

"What? Polishing precious Crow?! FINE! I didn't want to talk to you anyway! I'll just call Kiba again and talk to HIM some more instead." I grumble loudly, carefully moving the mouthpiece away so it sounds as if I'm about to hang up.

"Wait a second, Ria!"

*Bingo!* I think. "What, Kankuro?"

"I'm sorry," he sighs. "It's been a long day, and I got into a fight with some Ninja, leaving Crow and Black Ant in bad shape. I was trying to fix them before Temari finishes dinner."

"So, you lost, didn't you?"

"Shut up! I didn't LOSE! I just… didn't… win."

"Yeeeeaaah. Next time, just call me like you used to, okay? I'll beat 'em up for ya! 'Cuz I wove my wittle cwanky kitty, isn't dat wight, Kanky-kun?" I stifle a giggle as I imagine the multiple anime veins popping out all over his head.

"You're so funny."

"And that's why you wove me! Anyway, talk to Gaara about your Saturday night plans, and I'll see you then, okay?"

"Okay, whatever." He sighs as I continue to chuckle under my breath.

"Love you, Kankuro!"

"Yeah, yeah, love you, too, Ria."

I hang up the phone and rub my hands together. I turn up my music a little and am pleased to realize that the song playing is none other than "Toxicity" by System of a Down. After grabbing a conveniently placed pen and small, spiral notebook with variously-sized horizontal stripes in chocolate, light brown, tan, light blue, and white on one side and quarter-sized chocolate, light brown, tan, and white circles on a light blue background on the other, I begin to plan Saturday evening. I left Deidara in charge of explosives, so I plan to go buy more tomorrow. I make a list of ingredients to get in order to make Anika's favorite foods and a couple of my own. I plan out some music and make a note to buy more matches, since I used the last one just now lighting a white grapefruit scented candle. As I finish making my list, "Sticking with You" by Addison Road comes on my stereo. I crank it up as loud as it will go, and I start jumping/dancing around my living room like a crazy person, enjoying living solo, not for the first time tonight. For now, I'm enjoying the bachelorette life, but maybe one day I'll get a roommate. Maybe. I sing along with the chorus as I notice Kiba's silhouette in the window. I refrain from smirking and hold out the final chord; I am pleased when I hear "Control" by MuteMath come on after Addison Road. Grinning widely, I begin to sing and dance around again. I make a lap around the entire room. As I pass the window where Kiba's peeping in at me, I yank the curtain entirely open and wave madly at Kiba, still grinning, and motion for him to come in through the front door. I turn down the music so that it's just background noise, and hear the door open to a red-faced Kiba.

"Hellooooo Kibbles! What did you drop outside my window earlier today that you just remembered and had to go looking for this late at night?" I grin as I see his blush deepen. He tries to play it off every time I catch him watching me in the evenings, which is surprisingly often, all things considered.

"I just… wanted to know why the music was so loud. That's all, Aria." He says, looking at the ground and shuffling his feet, obviously embarrassed.

"You couldn't have called?" I ask pointedly.

"You… you didn't answer. The music must have been too loud," he defends himself. I turn to look at the phone holder with a surprised look on my face.

"You're right. There's no way I could have heard it, Kibbles. I'm sorry I doubted you, and I'm so glad I can trust you and that there are NO secrets between us AT ALL!" I exclaim excitedly. I play along again. He still hasn't figured out that there's a light on the phone holder that lights up when I've missed a call. And right now, the light's still dark. He turns red again at my words and starts muttering his agreement. Akamaru is behind him, laughing in his merry and barking way.

"Woof, arf arf, bark!"

"Of course she… shouldn't listen to her music that loud, Akamaru! But I'm sure she knows that!" Kiba says nervously. I have to hide a grin and smother my laughter because Akamaru plainly told me that Kiba only wanted to come over here to watch me jump around like a lunatic because he loves me. But I've never told Kiba that I can understand Akamaru and the rest of his dogs just as well as he, Hana, and his mother can. It's just never come up in conversation. And even though he knows I'm part wolf like he's part dog, I guess it's never occurred to him to wonder if I share all of his traits.

"I know my music's loud, Akamaru," I wink at him, sharing our secret, "but I happen to like it that way. Besides, I LOVE this song!"

"When It Rains" by Paramore comes on, and after turning up the music, I grab Kiba by his wrists, pulling him into awkward and wild dancing patterns, leading him in circles around my living room. He turns as red as Hinata when Naruto speaks to her, so I'm surprised that he doesn't faint. A rap song I don't know comes on, but I recognize it as one that Kankuro added the last time he got his hands on my Zune. Shrugging slightly and turning around so my back's to Kiba, I smirk at Akamaru as I begin to grind backwards. I grab Kiba's hands and place them lightly on my hips while throwing mine up in the air with my eyes closed. He dances with me, and soon he's panting heavily. I love the feel of his jeans sliding across my deep grey-blue yoga pants, which I only wear because they're lighter but as comfortable as sweats. Plus, they show off my ass. I can feel a bulge growing in his pants, but he hasn't seemed to notice it yet. Smirking more widely, I start grinding harder into his pelvis and over-exaggerate my motions. His hands caress my hips lightly and pull me closer to him. I hate to admit it, but I'm really starting to enjoy myself. I realize that I'm no longer doing this just to tease him as "Follow (1st Movement of the Odyssey)" by Incubus comes on, and I continue my motions, losing myself in the music and in enjoyment. Just as I'm about to spin around and face him to continue dancing so I can see the look on his face and in his eyes, he backs away suddenly, looking embarrassed. I stop dancing and look around at him confused, panting slightly. He has a wild look in his eye, like a deer caught in the headlights. Akamaru's barking laughter is heard across the room, and Kiba mutters for him to shut up.

"Kiba, wha-"

"I'm sorry, Aria, I um… have to go. Well, uh, good night! See you tomorrow!" He says all of this as he's rushing out the door, trying to hide his arousal. I smirk and curl my finger at Akamaru, who pads over. I stroke his head and ask him a question.

"Was it something I did?"

Akamaru sneezes and informs me that I just seriously turned Kiba on. I laugh a little, relieved that I didn't just run him off. Akamaru looks at me questioningly, and I sigh. I scratch behind his ears and shake my head.

"I don't think I'm just messing with him anymore, buddy." I lean closer and whisper so that no one could overhear by chance. "Don't tell him, but I think I'm falling in love with him, too. But I, unlike him, will tell him Saturday. Promise. Just as long as you don't tell anyone, okay, Kama?"

I use my special nickname for him, and he softly woofs his agreement. Smiling and scratching under his chin a little, I hug him goodnight. I tell him that I'll see him and Kiba tomorrow and to tell Kiba I said goodnight before shutting off the stereo and heading up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. I know I should get some sleep since it's almost eleven and I have to shop tomorrow. I smile to myself as I lay under the fuzzy blanket Kankuro got me for Christmas three years ago. I decide to make my party a sleepover and can't wait to tell everyone. Smirking, I pick up the phone and call Deidara. I pull on my pajamas as I wait for him to answer: a plain white tank top with flannel pajama bottoms. The black pants have paw prints and the Inuzuka clan's facial marks all over them. The butt of them reads, "Kiba was here." He got them for me for my last birthday, and I absolutely love them. Akamaru had asked me what I wanted, and I mentioned I could use a new pair of flannel pajama pants. He also asked what color, and I had told him to surprise me. I was really surprised at my party, and I've worn them every night since then.

"It's late, and what do you want, yeah? I have half a mind to blow you up, un!"

"Hey Deidara, it's just me again."

"Oh, sorry about that, Aria. What do you need?"

"I've decided that my party's going to be a sleepover, unless you don't want to stay. So, you and Tobi have to bring pajamas! The Suna crew's coming, too, and here's how you're going to get into the village undetected: You're to meet Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari at the fork in the road before Konoha at five. Gaara will teleport you to my house when you get closer to the village gate, and don't try to blow them up, okay? And don't tick Gaara off. I'll kill you. He needs a break, so this is going to be a NICE weekend, got it?"

"Whatever you say, Aria, yeah. That all, un?"

"Yep."

"Going to wear those pajamas dog boy got you last year, yeah?"

"Yep."

"See you then." He hung up snickering. Sighing, I dial Gaara's number again. The phone rings twice before the further-frazzled voice comes over the line.

"What NOW could you POSSIBLY want?!"

"…"

"WELL?! What the HELL do you want?! I'm waiting!"

"… I love you, Gaara."

"Aria?" He drops the phone and scrambles to pick it back up. "Aria! Thank Jashin it's you! I have a question!"

"Of course you're welcome to come now, love. You're always welcome at my house, expected or otherwise. Anything else?"

"No, and thank you! I'm about to kill someone here! And what can I do for you, love?"

"Well, just make sure to bring pajamas and not to get a hotel. You are all staying with me! It's a… wait for it… sleepover, yeah!"

"Sounds good. We're leaving NOW."

"Are the other two still going to go with you to meet Dei and Tobi?"

"Nah. No point. You can come with me, though."

"Okay. See you in two days! And stay as long as you like! Love you!"

"Love you, too. Goodbye, Aria."

"See you, Gaara."

I hang up the phone, shaking my head, knowing that Gaara will absolutely refuse to stop for sleeping. I decide to make up their bedrooms while I'm thinking about it. I head down the hallway and open the closet. I pull out eight blankets, a mixture of quilts, unfitted sheets, and comforters, knowing the Suna kids will use the sheets, Deidara and Tobi will use the heavy comforters, and Kiba, Shikamaru, and Anika will use the quilts, like I do. I lay two sheets, two quilts, and the two comforters in the master bedroom, and I take the other sheet and quilt to my second guest bedroom. Conveniently enough for me, my parents had died in an ANBU mission after paying off the house. I'll probably be living here for the rest of my life. I pull out extra pillows on my second trip to the large closet and toss six in the first room and two into the second. My third, fourth, and fifth trips consist of me dragging three sleeping mats to the first room, three more to the same, and three to the second. My sixth and final trip consists of me grabbing eight pillowcases and shutting the closet door. I toss six into the first room and two into the second. Heading back into the first room, I lay out the six mats with comfortable space in-between them, pull on the sheets, stuff the pillows inside of cases, and toss them unceremoniously onto the makeshift beds. I leave the blankets stacked up, figuring the guests can choose their own beds. I go to the second room and repeat the process. I'll use my own blanket and pillow Saturday night, but for now, I'll use my own bed, too. I snuggle down under my blanket and am asleep before midnight.

***I generally hate time-skips most of the time, but short ones are okay as long as they're not weeks or something. This is only until I wake up! What?! Did you WANT to hear about me sleeping for seven hours?  Zzz. That's about it. Now, on with the story! Which will continue in Part B! -grins widely-***


	2. Misunderstandings and Messing with Kiba

I stretch and yawn, blinking in the early morning sunlight. I flip out of bed, and my feet hit the cool floor. I glance out of my bedroom window to see that Kiba fell asleep with his window open again. I smile as I watch his sleeping form. I whistle to Akamaru who immediately bounds out of Kiba's window and through my doggy door. He pads up the stairs and noses my door open before padding over to sit by me. I scratch his ears absentmindedly as I wait for Kiba to awaken. I lean against the windowsill, enjoying the soft breeze of the 7 a.m. air. I climb out of the window and ease onto the balcony instead of taking the time to walk through the sliding door. Pulling open the sliding door, I whistle lowly for Akamaru and see him trot to join me.

"Will you get my blanket, please?"

Akamaru sneezes in acknowledgement and disappears through the door. He reappears quickly with my blanket, and I drape it over my shoulders as I lean against the railing, crossing my left leg behind my right. I stroke Akamaru and watch Kiba through his open window. Roughly around eight, Kiba stretches and sits up in his bed in a t-shirt and boxers. He shakes his head and peers around, noticing the lack of Akamaru's presence. He gets up and pads around to the window, looking out and calling softly for Akamaru. I drop the blanket in the deck chair and lean backwards against the railing. I nod to Akamaru, who barks and catches Kiba's attention. I continue to pet Akamaru, who is watching Kiba. He tells me when Kiba enters my house, and I turn back around, adjusting the blanket on my shoulders again so that the text on my rump is visible. I hear Kiba coming up the stairs, and I stare up into the sky at the clouds drifting by. Soon I sense his presence behind me, but since he says nothing, I say nothing. Continuing in my scratching of Akamaru's head, I refuse to speak first since he came into my house. Having gathered his courage, Kiba approaches me and comments on my choice of sleepwear.

"Nice pajamas, Aria." I grin at the obvious comment.

"You only like them because reading the text gives you a reason to stare at my ass."

"You're right," he grins as he removes the blanket from my shoulders, wraps it around his, and leans against my back, wrapping his arms around my waist. "So, you weren't kidding when you said you loved them?"

"Of course I wasn't. I don't say things unless I mean them, and you know that, Kiba," I say, snuggling in the warmth he radiates from having just woken up. "Hey, Kiba?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to bring pajamas with you Saturday night."

"Why's that?"

"You're sleeping over, of course." That's right, I STILL haven't told him that it's not going to be just him and me that night. I add with a grin, "But get your mind out of the gutter, mutt."

He chuckles as he tightens his grip and lays his head to rest on my left shoulder blade. He breathes in deeply as he makes himself comfortable, his body pressing against mine. I take in his scent as he breathes in mine. Goosebumps make an appearance on the skin of my back and arms as the wind picks up, and I know that he notices them. I close my eyes and lean further into his arms.

"Comfortable?" I ask him.

"Very," he replies. It must be something about the morning. He always seems so fearless early in the mornings when he hasn't been awake for too long. Later in the day, however, he has time to think about his actions, and that makes for some awkward meetings on his part. I just think they're extremely funny. As comfortable as I am wrapped in his arms, I know I have to get dressed so I can get everything I need for the party on Saturday night.

"Kiba?"

"Yeah, Aria?" He asks, his voice still husky from sleep.

"As comfortable as you are, I need to get dressed. Can you let go of me, please?" I gently run my fingers down one of his arms. Goosebumps rise on his flesh where I've touched, and I chuckle lightly. Suddenly he seems to wake up entirely and comes to his senses. In other words, he realizes his location and position and feels extremely embarrassed and awkward.

"Uh, umm, that's okay, Aria. Uh, I'll see you later!" He hurriedly spins around to rush off and promptly falls flat on his face, taking me with him since he's still wrapped in my blanket. I fall on top of him, and he immediately turns bright red. I hug his middle and rest my head on his back as I laugh. I soon release him, and he flips over while I continue to lie on top of him. I fold my arms across his chest, resting my chin on my forearms, and stare into his eyes. I tilt my head to the left and smile bemusedly at his expression, stuck somewhere between embarrassment, enjoyment, and I-wish-I-could-die-right-now-ment. Finally, I push myself off his chest and stand, offering my hand to help him up. He takes my hand and blushes darker as he gets up and hands me my blanket.

"Sorry about that, Aria."

"No need to apologize, Kiba-kun," I say jokingly. He eyes me uncertainly, definitely noticing my use of suffix.

"Okay then. I'll see you… later, Aria."

"Yeah," I say as I watch him disappear. I watch him as he crosses my yard and enters his house, forgetting about Akamaru entirely. I whisper, "Definitely."

I turn and walk into my house abruptly, Akamaru following closely behind. I shut the curtains and pull the blinds on the sliding door as I pull things out of my closet and dresser and begin to dress. I talk to Akamaru as he waits.

"Where did you leave my picture?"

*Directly under his pouch. Nice choice, by the way.*

"Thanks, buddy. Are you just watching me so that you can tease him about how you've seen me nude but he still hasn't?"

*But of course. You know me so well.*

"You're going to brag about how good I look, right?"

*Of course I will. I WANT him to want you. You're the BEST!*

"Thank you, thank you." I bow. "Get my shirt please?"

*So, you're not telling him it's not actually a date?*

"Nope!" I say, pleased with myself. "But I'll make it worth his time. I promise. Just don't let him wear anything too nice, okay?"

*Yeah, yeah.*

"Did he tell you you're invited, too?"

*I am?!*

"Of course! What am I, a torturer of all things adorable, intimidating, handsome dogs?!"

Akamaru licks my hand in thanks as I pet his head.

"But considering that's Kiba's definition of himself," I smirk, "I guess I am, eh, Kama?"

Akamaru woofs in agreement as we head downstairs. I feed him a couple of cookies as I grab and slice a handful of strawberries, a banana, an apple, and add some grapes and fresh blackberries to the bowl. I grab a pair of chopsticks and a few more cookies and head back upstairs to the balcony to eat. I sit in the chair and prop my feet on the railing with Akamaru happily laying next to me and munching on cookies. It's like having a bowl of popcorn at a suspenseful movie with your best friend next to you, knowing that the girl on the screen should have stayed under the bed where she was safe and shouldn't go into the next room since the slasher music is obviously playing, signaling to everyone sane that the slasher is IN the room she's about to enter! Thus, Akamaru and I are hunkered down and watching through the window as Kiba's about to pick up his kunai pouch. Quickly, I sprint to my room and shut the sliding door after Akamaru enters. I peek through the blinds at Akamaru's level so he can watch, too. Kiba picks up his pouch and sees the picture. With a puzzled look on his face, he picks it up and….

BRIIIIIIIING!!! The phones rings and Akamaru and I both anime fall to the ground. I grab the phone and answer as I hurriedly peek through the blinds again, hoping to catch Kiba's reaction to the best photo yet.

"WHAT?!" I whisper exasperatedly. "What the HELL could be so important that you had to call me RIGHT this SECOND to make me miss the look on Kiba's face at the new photo I had Akamaru plant?!"

"… It's YOU driving him insane with all these pictures? And Akamaru's in on it, too?"

"Sorry. I didn't say that out loud, Hana-chan," I say, sweat-dropping. "Kuso! I missed it! Mendosekai!"

Sighing, I let the blinds close. I return my attention to the phone, "What did you need, Hana-chan?"

"I was wondering where Akamaru is. Have you seen him?"

*Right here, Hana-chan.*

"Sorry guys," she chuckles. "Guess you'll have to try again!"

"But that one was the BEST one I have, Hana-chan!" I whine. Akamaru whines with me in agreement.

"Which one this time?"

"The action shot of Anika, Kankuro, Kiba, and me at the beach last summer."

"Ah, the volleyball game one you look so hot in?"

"That's the one."

"Damn. I'm sorry all four of us missed that one!"

"For real!" I sigh. "Well, I'll see you in a few to bring Kama home."

"See you then."

We hang up, and Akamaru and I fall against each other, sighing. I've NEVER caught the expression on his face. That one would have been motion-picture-worthy! I strap on my kunai pouch and fan and slide on my ninja shoes. I put my wallet and keys in my kunai pouch and turns off the light after locking the doors and windows. As I head out the door with Akamaru, I lock the doggy door and main lock and jog across the yard with Akamaru keeping pace beside me. I open the front door of the Inuzuka's house and hold my finger to my lips to shush everyone. I wave at Hana-chan who gives me a thumbs-up when I point at Akamaru. Grinning, I point down the hallway, she grins back while nodding and mouthing, "Do it!" Smirking, Akamaru and I creep up the stairs and down the hall and fling Kiba's door open unceremoniously.

"Honey, I'm HOOOOOOME!" I yell by way of greeting as Akamaru and I burst in and he scrambles around to hide from me, hurriedly doing something that sounds suspiciously like zipping his fly. He then turns back around, and I pretend to spot the picture he's holding and hop behind him on the bed. I lean against his back with my body pressed against his and drape my arms around his . I can see the slight bulge in his pants but pretend not to notice. Pointing, I exclaim, "Hey, I remember that day! That was one of the greatest days of my life!"

"Mine too," he said, probably in reference to the end of the day when we walked down the beach and watched the sunset while holding each other's hand.

"Yeah, Kankuro and I KILLED you and Anika in beach volleyball!" I state, obviously in reference to the killer games we played. "Man, I look GOOD in that picture! Where did you get it, Kiba?"

"I, uh, just found it, actually," he says, still gazing at the photo.

"What do you mean? Where was it?" He looks a little uncomfortable as I ask this, but I press on, genuinely curious as to what he will say.

"It was… under my kunai pouch this morning."

"Aww! So sweet! Going to sleep looking at a picture of me! I'm flattered!" I say teasingly.

"Yeah, almost as sweet as you wearing those pajamas every night while you go to bed, praying that the message will come true!"

I gasp, pretending to be shocked by his words. I fling myself backwards and hop off the bed, pretending to be mad. I state icily, "That's not funny, Kiba. I am NOT a whore."

Meanwhile, Akamaru sees my eyes sparkling with mischief. I grin at him quickly before composing my face enough to glare stonily at a bewildered Kiba. I spin on heel and stalk out of the room, bursting into fits of silent laughter as I speed down the hallway and downstairs into the kitchen. Hana raises her brow at my entrance, and I mouth "Later" to her. Smirking and shaking her head, she turns back to her animal medicine book. I hug her and plop unceremoniously down on the floor to play with Akamaru and three of the yearling pups who have wandered into the kitchen. I watch the kitchen door, waiting to see Kiba frantically burst in. Hana, Akamaru, and I are surprised, however, when he doesn't stop at the kitchen. While calling my name, he races through the living room and flings open the door. Hana clears her throat and barks at Kiba.

"Kiba, kitchen."

I pretend to be completely absorbed in playing with the young pups. I grin when they tackle and lick me while Akamaru pants his laughter while lying on the floor behind me. As I lean back against his soft form, I glance up at Kiba to see his expression, mingled surprise, guilt, and relief. He plops down on the floor next to me as gracefully as I did, and I turn away from him slightly. Akamaru's still laughing, and Hana's hiding a smile behind her medical journal. Kiba stares down at the ground.

"Aria, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean that how it sounded. I was just poking fun because you brought up whooping me-"

"Whipped, Kiba."

"Huh?"

"Whipped, Kiba. I whipped you." I say, hiding a smile.

"Okay, you brought up _whipping _me-" Hana and Akamaru break out into barking laughter at the now puzzled and suspicious expression on Kiba's face. I smile innocently as I stroke Akamaru's head while looking down at the pups playing in my lap.

"Kiba, you just admitted it!" Hana laughs.

"Admitted WHAT, Hana-chan?!"

*You just admitted that she's got you whipped, dog!* Akamaru barks as his and Hana's laughter increases at the look on Kiba's face.

"What'd he say, Kiba?" I ask sweetly, smirking slightly. Hana smiles knowingly at me as I glance back at her. She knows I can understand them, too. It's sort of an inside joke we have going on in a conspiracy against her younger brother.

"Nothing, Aria." He pouts, his ego and manhood bruised.

"Hana-onii-chan, what did Akamaru say that has Kiba pouting so violently?"

"Well, Aria-imooto-san," Hana says, grinning like a dog, "Akamaru said tha-"

"Shut UP, Hana-chan!" Kiba shouts.

"Then tell her before I DO, baka."

"Fine! Akamaru said that," he pauses and hangs his head, "that you've got me whipped."

"Excellent!" I cheer as Kiba's head snaps up and Hana and Akamaru continue in their laughter. I laugh with them, "Way to go, Kama! You totally played along! Haven't I ALWAYS told you guys that I LOVE this dog?!"

I hug each of the three pups and Akamaru. I then jump up and hug Hana and pull Kiba up to stand on his feet, still looking dumbfounded. I squeeze him tightly around the middle and let go before I run toward the front door. I spin around as I open the door, seeing everyone still laughing at Kiba's expense, and I whistle for Akamaru.

"Come on, Akamaru! You deserve a treat and a belly-rub for that one!" I chuckle as Akamaru scrambles up to follow me. "I'm stealing your dog for the day, Kibbles! Bye, Hana-chan! Bye Kibbles!" I race down the driveway with Akamaru as my parting yell and laughter echoes behind me.

"I'll be back later to whip you some more, Kiba!"

***Yes, this is a time skip. Basically, I pick up the party supplies, eat lunch, rub Akamaru's belly, drop off Akamaru, blast music, see that Kiba hasn't come to peep, turn off the music, and go to sleep around midnight. It is now Thursday morning! The sand siblings arrive soon!***

I stretch and yawn, blinking in the early morning sunlight. I flip out of bed, and my feet hit the cool floor. I glance out of my bedroom window to see that Kiba fell asleep with his window closed for the first time in a few months. I sigh and pull on my shoes as I go to open Kiba's window. I pull on a jacket as I head downstairs and open my front door. I race across the yard and open the front door to see Hana about to leave.

"Hey Hana-chan," I say quietly. She smiles.

"Window shut?" I nod at her.

"And interfering with my Akamaru-time! Joint custody, you know?" I grin as she does the same. "What happened yesterday?"

"Kiba pouted and stalked off to shut himself in his room. It was priceless when he finally realized he'd been set up! What about you two yesterday?"

I briefly explain what happened after I had thrown his door open, and she snickered. I tell her I'm going to open his window, and she tells me to be careful not to wake him. I grin and ask her, "What do you think he'd do if I woke him up – in my LOVELY pajamas," I spin and shake my rear at her, "and inform him that it is indeed HIS turn to feed our pups?"

She cracks up laughing, keeping as quiet as she can. "I'd PAY to see THAT!"

"Me too," I say as we smirk. "Later, Hana-chan! I'll let you know when I decide to do that!"

She waves and disappears out the front door as I slink upstairs, careful not to wake anyone or make any of the boards creak. I pause at Kiba's door, listening carefully for any sign of movement. I can tell no one's awake with my sensitive hearing, so I carefully ease his door open. I creep across the floor and pause at the window, surprised at seeing it locked. I freeze as I hear Kiba mutter my name, soon realizing he's dreaming. I relax, and it's then that I notice several pictures on the floor, so I bend down silently to look at them. I'm shocked when I realize they are all of the pictures of me that I've had Akamaru plant. And they all look as if they've been squeezed violently and tossed aside. Tears forming in my eyes, I tap Akamaru on the head after I let the pictures fall back on the floor. I point to the door, and he immediately gets up to follow me.

We seem to melt through the scenery as we go up to my balcony. I grab my blanket on the way out and collapse on the floor. Akamaru lies down and wraps his body around mine. I drape the blanket over my front and snuggle into the warmth of the dog behind me. I break into tears and turn over on my side as Akamaru whines, not quite understanding why I'm upset. He licks the tears from my cheeks, and I pet his head as he stares at me with sad puppy-dog eyes.

*What's wrong, Ria?*

"Everything, Akamaru."

*What do you mean? I don't… understand. I'm here, right?*

"Yes, but for example, why is Kiba's window locked? It's never shut unless it's winter or storming. I LIKE waking up to come out here, sit with you, and watch him until he wakes up."

*Why?*

"I told you already, Kama, that I think I'm falling in love with him, but now I'm sure. And now that…."

*What is it, Ria?* He licks my cheeks again, and I pull the blanket around me more tightly as the wind picks up.

"The pictures," I whisper.

*What about them? I know he was looking at them when I went to sleep last night, but what's wrong?*

"I found them all this morning on the floor."

*So, he knocked them off in his sleep?* I shake my head.

"Each crumpled individually and tossed aside… like trash. Even the one from the beach." More tears slide down my cheeks. Akamaru whines as he lays his head next to mine.

*I'm sorry, Aria.*

"Me too, Akamaru."

-Move to Kiba-

Kiba stretches as he sits up in his bed. He notices Akamaru is missing again, which is nothing new. He then realizes that the window is shut and locked. It feels stuffy in the room, and that's the cause of it. He had shut the window yesterday afternoon because the pups were pestering for him to play, and he was sick of them jumping – or rather, _trying _to jump – through the window to annoy him. He hangs his legs over the bed and his feet slide as they make contact with something that slides on the wooden floor. After falling flat on his rump, he sees the partially crumpled photos strewn about on the floor. He remembers fisting them and tossing them aside in his self-pity, depressed that Aria doesn't like him like he likes her. He then pauses as he notices her fresh scent along with something saltier but still smelling like her. He picks up the photos and realizes the scent is strongest on the one of them at the beach. He sniffs it again and realizes the scent is tears… Aria's tears. Eyes open wide, he flings open the window and looks to the balcony, only to see her door sliding shut.

-Back to Aria and Akamaru-

*I'm sure there's an explanation for this that doesn't involve his hatred of you.*

"What do you know? You're a dog. You've said it yourself." I sigh as I pick out the outfit I'm going to meet Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro in. "'Human ways, even Kiba's, are weird to me,' you said."

*Yeah, but the way that mutt smells when he sees you wouldn't change overnight, I can promise you that. Talk to him, Aria.*

"Are you sure, Kama, love?"

Akamaru sneezes in assurance, and we both walk downstairs. As we part ways at the front door, I say, "I'll talk to him later today, Akamaru. Don't let him follow me this morning if he's figured it all out, but I'll call for you to find him and bring him to me later. Okay?"

Akamaru woofs and trots off to the Inuzuka household. I trot off to the front gates to meet my friends.

***Short skip in time to the arrival of Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. I know Gaara's a little OOC, but he'll be back soon! *grins* He's just… severely overworked, is all!***

I'm leaning against the gate when I feel sand swirling about my ankle. Smiling, I stand up straight and run out of the gates at a dead sprint. I see my friend a couple of miles down the road and run harder, throwing myself at Gaara, who is alone and in the lead, also at a dead sprint. We clash and hug, happy to see each other.

"Gaara!"

"Aria!"

"I missed you, love!"

"I missed you, too, love!"

"Where are the other two?" I ask, releasing him.

"They should be… somewhere… behind me," Gaara says as he rubs the back of his neck and glances behind us. I laugh and shake my head as we turn to watch the road. Soon I see a flash of white. Grinning, I race off like a fool with Gaara standing and watching me greet Temari the same way. After a few girlish squeals about various subjects, we stand with Gaara, waiting for Kankuro to catch up.

"Where is he, Tem?" I ask, rather annoyed.

"He had to stop and take a leak, so I left him," Temari says while smirking.

"Nice. You two go ahead," I sigh and grin. "Here's the key, love. Temari, make sure to tell Shikamaru that it's a sleepover when you see him in a few minutes. He's on the hill. And absolutely NO ONE informs Kiba that it's a party. Got it?"

Temari grins and Gaara smirks. They nod and head off down the road, eager to get out of their traveling gear and relax in their various ways. I hop into a tree above me and sit on the branching, leaning back against the trunk as I wait for Kankuro to show up. Soon, I spot him walking toward me with his hands in his pockets, grumbling about being left behind. I grin maliciously and jump him from above after he passes me, falling on his back and causing him to almost flip me off his back and onto the road.

"ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HERE! JASHIN, CATS TAKE THEIR SWEET TIME!!" I yell in his ear, grinning maniacally. Hearing my voice, he ceases to struggle and grins. I drop off his back and smirk, "Good thing you don't have to pee anymore, eh, Kankuro-kitty?"

"Shut up, Aria," he says, still grinning widely. I jump on him from the front this time and hug him tightly, he hugging me back just as tightly.

"I missed you, baka," I whisper in his ear as he grins.

"Missed you too, Ria-baka," he whispers back as he sets me down. I jump on his back and wrap my arms and legs around him tightly.

"Let's GOOOOO! You've made me miss lunch with your slow-poking around in the bushes!"

"Fine, then I'll take you out to lunch, okay?"

"Yay! I don't have to cook!" I shout, delighted. He grins as I drop off and we begin to run back to the gates of Konoha.

***Short skip in time to after Kankuro's and Aria's lunch "date." Aria is now on her way to find Kiba.***

I let out a high-pitched whistle with my fingers, patiently waiting for Akamaru to respond. Soon I hear baying as Akamaru comes bounding faster than normal with Kiba only half on his back, hanging on for his life. I break into laughter as Akamaru skids to a halt beside me, throwing Kiba to the ground. I stick out a hand to help Kiba up and smile slightly.

"You okay, Kibbles?" He grunts as I ask, taking my hand to pull himself up. "Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari made it here unscathed. Gaara's sleeping in one of my bedrooms; Temari's with Shikamaru somewhere; and Kankuro's… being Kankuro… somewhere. How was training today?"

Kiba stretches, and I can see just how muscular he is as his shirt rides up. He smirks slightly, having noticed where my attention is, and replies, "It went pretty well. I'm keeping the body in shape. Glad to see someone appreciating it other than me."

I grin in response. "It's nice, but it's nothing compared to mine."

"I'll bite," he smirks. "How would I know? Are you going to show me sometime?"

"Nah," I reply, grinning like a lunatic. "You can just ask Akamaru his opinion on all things shapely and me."

"What?!" Kiba yells and gets angry, anime-style: wide-open mouth, buggy eyes, lack of pupils, and an angrily raised fist.

"You mean he's seen your body before I have?! That's not cool, Aria!" I laugh as he becomes overly indignant.

"Your fault for not sticking around yesterday, goober!" I laugh harder as he freezes.

"Are you serious? He saw you yesterday after I left?"

*Yep. And mutt, does she EVER have the hottest body! Almost better than Rika-chan….* Akamaru trails off as he begins to fantasize about one of the other dogs at the Inuzuka's.

"GAAAAAH!" Kiba yells, anime-falling. He sighs as he stands upright again. He looks at me seriously again and we sit next to eat other.

"Aria-chan, were you in my room this morning?"

"… Hai."

"And you saw the pictures on the ground? And the locked window?"

"… Hai." I look at the ground, no longer smiling. He wraps he arms around my shoulders, and I allow myself to lean into him, delighting in his scent. He sighs.

"I was afraid of that." He begins to go into a lengthy and hilarious rendition of the pups harassing him as I laugh at their antics. He then turns more serious as he comes to the topic of the pictures. "As for the pictures, I was wallowing in self-pity and tossed them aside because I was upset that…."

He pauses, and Akamaru stares at him from his restful position. I stare ahead, hoping he's not really mad at me for anything. He lets out a breath and continues, grinning, "… that you were able to trick me like that. The anger was an act, too, wasn't it?"

I grin in return and nod, facing him. I hug him, and he hugs me back. We hang out for a while before heading home together.

***Short skip in time to eight that evening.***

I walk into my house after departing from Kiba, who entered his own house a minute previously. I call out to the seemingly empty room to suddenly be bombarded by loud sound waves coming from my stereo. I grin as one of Kankuro's and my favorite songs, "Slow Motion," blasts through my speakers. He comes around the corner and motions for me to join him. I quickly jump in front of him and begin dancing, having a lot of fun. We're dancing in the room next to the living room, since the room we're in now doesn't have windows. Although I flirt shamelessly with Kankuro whenever I get the chance, he knows that I don't want to make Kiba think he doesn't have a chance with me. I relax knowing there's no way Kiba can see me dancing with Kankuro and lose myself in the music with Kankuro dancing next to me. We don't hear footsteps since the music's so loud, and it takes us a moment before we realize there's someone standing in the doorway staring with bug eyes and a gaping mouth at us. We both blush slightly as we see Gaara at the door. I grin widely and walk over to grab his hand as the song changes.

"Gaara, my love! I must have you dance with us! It's the only way to beat the stress: loosen up and have some play time!" I twirl around, still hanging on to one of his hands. Kankuro smirks as Gaara flushes. I finish spinning and grab his other hand again. I glance back at Kankuro and smirk as I turn around to face him, still hanging on to Gaara's hands. I pull his arms around my waist and begin grinding backwards into him, leaving Kankuro in fits of laughter and Gaara blushing as I grin. He dances with me awkwardly, and we're all left laughing as we notice a new form in the doorway.

"Kiba! It's about time you got here! Join me!" I pull him with me over to Kankuro, who is smirking at me. Gaara moves to the side of the floor and leans against the wall, watching and smirking slightly. I grin in return to both of them and place myself between Kiba and Kankuro, my back facing Kiba. As a new song plays, I then begin to dance again, hands thrown in the air, eyes closed, and mouthing along with the song. Kankuro glances at Kiba with his eyebrow raised and tilts his head questioningly. Kiba blushes and looks away before looking back and nodding. Smirking, Kankuro begins to dance again with me; I am entirely oblivious to their silent communication. The song changes to something I don't recognize, but I continue as I had been before, minus the mouthing of the words to the song. Kiba's dancing with us by this time, and we're having a blast.

Kankuro moves slightly closer as he reaches around my waist, carefully not touching me. He grabs Kiba's wrists, making him look suddenly weary of the puppet master. Kankuro smirks and shakes his head with a disgusted look on his face before raising both of his eyebrows at the younger boy. He pulls Kiba's wrists around my hips and places Kiba's palms lightly on the edge of my jeans. I smile slightly as this happens. I open my eyes to see Kankuro's retreating hands, and I smirk. I mouth my thanks, and he smirks as we continue dancing, all of our eyes closed again. Gaara makes his escape. We don't notice Temari on the stairs, mouth open, staring at us as if we're lunatics. They glance at each other, and Gaara shrugs as they shake their heads before silently climbing the stairs again to go to bed.

***Short skip in time to eight Friday morning. I shall continue… in part C!***


	3. Rendezvous, Kidnapping, & Truth or Dare?

I stretch and yawn, blinking in the early morning sunlight. I flip out of bed, and my feet hit the cool floor. I glance out of my bedroom window to see that Kiba fell asleep with his window, once again, open for me to view him at my leisure. I hear someone beginning to stir in the next rooms. I step onto my balcony and grin as I whistle for Akamaru, who comes bounding through the window, across the yard, through the doggy door, and up the stairs to my waiting hand. I scratch his ears, and after picking up my blanket, I knock lightly on Gaara's door. A brief grunt is heard, and I enter along with Akamaru.

"Morning, love. Sleep well?" Gaara nods in response as I smile. "Good. Help yourself to anything you find downstairs for breakfast. If you find something you want me to cook, let me know, and I'll be more than happy to accommodate you."

"You don't have to cook for me, love. I'm not the Kazekage when I'm here."

"I know, love. But you're my friend, and I love you! Thus, I am more than happy to cook for you!" I blow him a kiss as he stands and stretches, completely shirtless. I eye his abs and grin. "Nice body, Gaara-bear!"

He blushes, and I stroll over and hug his bare waist, resting my head on his naked chest. He hugs me back, still lightly colored red. I release him and blow him another kiss as I leave the room and shut the door with Akamaru right behind me. I tap on the next door and poke my head in. I see Temari raise her head slightly, still asleep. I kneel beside her, dragging my blanket with me, and speak softly.

"Help yourself to anything you find downstairs for breakfast. If you want me to cook something, let me know, okay?"

She nods and mutters something incoherent, resembling something about "Shikamaru," "clouds," and "blasting Kankuro's puppets to the Hidden Mist." I grin and retreat, preparing to wake Kankuro. I stalk into his room, knowing he's still asleep. I drop my blanket by the door before I slink over to the bed and climb in next to him. I tell Akamaru to go outside the door in the hall and whine like a crying baby. I drape my arms around Kankuro's sleeping form and wait for Akamaru to whine. As if on cue, Kankuro begins to stir and turns to hold me in his sleep, muttering something about kids hating him. I yawn and hold him closer.

"Kankuro, isn't it your turn to feed the baby? I already did it three times last night, and my breasts still hurt. Will you go make the bottle, please, my love?" I ask, sounding overly exhausted.

"Do I have to, Aria?" He asks. He falls silent again before his eyes snap open. "Wait, what do you mean?"

I grin and kiss him on the forehead. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Help yourself to anything you find downstairs for breakfast. If you want me to cook something you find, let me know, okay?"

He nods, and I hug him again before making my way to the door. I pause to pick up the blanket, and he notices my rear. "Nice pajamas and blanket, Aria. I really did well last year, eh?"

I grin and nod as I blow him a kiss before exiting the room, knowing he's staring at my ass as I walk out. "Yep. Best present ever."

I walk back out onto the balcony with Akamaru and watch Kiba. Several minutes later, Kiba stretches and sits up in his bed. He looks around before walking over to look out the window. He looks up to my balcony and waves at me, and I smile and wave back before heading inside to make breakfast anyway.

***Short skip in time to Gaara and Aria meeting Deidara and Tobi at five on Saturday. Basically, the rest of Friday was spent with Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari and catching up with other friends in the village, sleeping, and seeing Kiba at the window again in the morning.***

Gaara and I walk out of the house, waving to Temari and Kankuro. I yell and tell them we'll be back soon, and they nod and disappear inside the house. Akamaru bounds up and stops at my feet, begging to be allowed to come along. I almost slip up and answer him before Gaara nudges me. I glance up and see Kiba following closely behind.

"Kiba, what does Akamaru want?" He rubs the back of his head as I ask.

"He wants to come with you, wherever you two are going."

"Really, Kama? You want to come with us?" I ask, wondering if it's Akamaru or Kiba who really wants to come with you.

*Yes, I do. I'm sure Kiba would like to come along, too, but you're going to a secret place, right?*

"I take that as a yes, Kama!" I grin and look up at Kiba expectantly. He looks away, giving me time to quickly nod and confirm Akamaru's suspicions. Kiba looks back at me and informs me what Akamaru said.

"If it's a secret place, then what's so secret about it?" He asks. "Where are you going that I can't go?"

I think quickly, an idea suddenly forming in my mind. I decide to mess with him while also keeping my carefully formulated plans from him. "Gaara's helping me with some preparation for tonight."

Kiba's eyes widen slightly. "And what, may I ask, are you preparing for? Actually, what do you possibly need to prepare for tonight?"

I purposely blush and look away. I glance at Gaara and see he's smirking at me slightly, just enough so I can tell but Kiba can't. I return the look and stare at the ground. I mumble something incoherent about lingerie and fruit as I kick my feet at the ground. Akamaru's trying not to laugh as I fake being embarrassed and caught.

"What?" Kiba asks, entirely interested.

"Uh, don't worry about it, Kiba! It's a surprise, so I guess you just have to wait and find out later okay?!" I rush through the explanation, and Kiba turns faintly pink.

"Sorry, Aria. I'll just go. You can take Akamaru with you, so have fun." I get a worried look on my face and race up behind him as he turns away. I hug him from behind and feel him stiffen before relaxing. I'm no longer faking.

"Kiba," I say softly, "I just want you to be surprised, is all. I don't want you knowing all of my plans before they're in action, okay? I just… really want you to be amazed later tonight. Stunned and shocked, actually. Is that okay?"

Kiba hangs his head slightly before spinning in my grip to hug me back. "Yeah, that's perfectly okay, Aria. I just thought maybe you didn't want me around or something."

"Never, Kibbles!" I grin as I squeeze him and use the nickname I gave him when we were four. I get more serious as I speak again, burying my face in his chest. I whisper, "I'll always want you around."

Kiba lays his head on mine and hugs me again before we let go, grinning. Akamaru's bouncing around and whining, something about "CANWEGOCANWEGO?!" Gaara's gracefully looking away. Kiba scratches the back of his neck and sweat-drops. He grins before walking away, saying, "Have fun you guys! See you later tonight, Aria!"

I grin as I watch him go. Gaara grabs my arm when he disappears and drags me along to the gates with Akamaru bounding happily alongside us. He pulls me through after him, both of us nodding at Kotetsu and Izumo as we exit through the gate. Akamaru follows us, and we set off down the road to wait for the two men. Half an hour later, we arrive at the rendezvous point. I immediately plop on the ground next to a tree on the side of the road, and Akamaru situates himself behind me. Gaara seats himself next to me with more grace, and we wait, occasionally breaking the silence to chat.

"So, you are starting to like Kiba, aren't you, love?"

"What? Why do you ask?" I avoid the question.

*Come on, Aria. All three of us know now. Can't you admit it to Gaara?*

"You're right, Kama," I sigh. "Yes, Gaara, love, I'm falling in love with him. But why do you ask?"

Gaara grins. "I was just curious, love."

*Why do you two call each other 'love' all the time, Aria and Gaara?*

I start to chuckle. Gaara looks at me questioningly before realizing that I must be laughing at something Akamaru has said. I face Gaara while still leaning back on Akamaru. I grin as I explain, "Kama's curious as to why we call each other 'love' all the time, Gaara-bear!"

His eyebrow rises as he smiles slightly. "Shall I tell him, or do you want to do the honors?"

"I'll let you tell it," I say, "but we both know-"

"-that you're going to interject," Gaara finishes. Akamaru pants in laughter. Gaara begins to go into the tale of how we met, with me, of course, interjecting throughout his story. Basically, I've called him "love" since I met him just to remind him that someone cares about him. That someone is obviously me, although I'm sure there are more who care. Soon the story is finished, and we go back to waiting. Suddenly, Akamaru's ears prick up causing mine to do the same. We hear two people approaching, and I inform Gaara that I will return shortly. I disappear into the tree above us without another word. I make my way through the trees silently, my ninja instincts taking over. I stop on a wide, sturdy branch with lots of cover from the foliage around. I peer carefully down the road and see two men walking toward me. One of them is bouncing excitedly around the obviously annoyed other, yelling something about seeing his favorite friend. I grin as I watch an anime vein pop out on the second's head, the first oblivious to the irritation of the second. I wait for them to pass me before whistling piercingly to Akamaru, too high for any human to hear. I know that he understands what I want, and I hear him and Gaara rise and walk to the fork. The two men, now in front of me on the ground, notice them and wave. Shifting back and forth on my feet like a cat ready to pounce, I leap out of the tree and land on the back of the first guy; my fingers dig into his shoulders, my legs wrap around his waist, and I bite his neck – hard, drawing blood.

I hold on tightly as the guy screams shrilly and runs around the second guy even faster. He throws his hands in the air and runs in circles screaming, "Help Tobi, sempai! The boogeyman got Tobi! Tobi doesn't want to die, sempai!"

The second guy stands in shock, amused by both of our actions. Smirking slightly, he trips the first guy, who flies through the air with me still attached to his back. After a lengthy, slow-motion fall and a faster crash, we go tumbling in the dirt and land at Gaara's and Akamaru's feet. I'm grinning and laughing like a lunatic, and the Tobi is sniffling and crying while the second guy is pointing and laughing his ass off at us. I hug Tobi tightly.

"Sorry Tobi! Aria couldn't help it!" I holler in his ear, still giggling. Gaara looks amused, and Akamaru sounds out his barking laughter. I turn around and speak to the other guy, "You're just lucky I didn't decide to land on YOU, UN! And that was uncalled for!"

"Sorry, un, I couldn't resist, yeah," Deidara says. "Besides, Tobi's been driving me nuts the whole way here talking about seeing you, yeah."

"Come on, Tobi." I pick myself off the ground and hold out a hand to Tobi. He takes it, still sniffling. "What's wrong, Tobi? Did Deidara hurt you? Should I blow HIM up?"

"No, Aria-chan," he sniffles and rubs his neck. "Aria-chan bit Tobi, remember?"

"O yeah," I say and rub the back of my neck sheepishly. "Does Tobi want Aria to kiss it better?"

Tobi nods, still whimpering slightly, and takes his hand down. Deidara's mouth drops open in shock and jealousy. Gaara still look amused, and Akamaru is rolling on the ground beside him. I place one palm on Tobi's mask where his cheek should be, and the other I place on his shoulder. I lean down and see I've drawn blood.

"Tobi," I say, "there's a little blood, but not much. I'm going to get it off before I kiss it, okay?"

Tobi nods in submission, and I give Deidara an evil grin, a mischievous glint in my eye. I lean my head down to his neck since he's a little taller than I am, and I see there are only a few drops that have welled up to break the surface. The bite mark, I see, will last for at least a week, though. I rest my lips about an inch away and gently blow on it.

"What are you DOING, un?!" Deidara yells impatiently, watching my every move with envy.

"I'm blowing on it to make the sting go away," I say matter-of-factly. "Does it feel a little better, Tobi?"

He nods slightly. As I lean back down, I whisper so no one can hear, "Make this look good, Tobi. We're playing a good joke on sempai, okay?"

He nods only slightly enough so that I know he's in, and I bend in closer to his neck. I stick my tongue out and gently lick the wounded area. As I lap up the blood, I glance up through my eyelashes at Deidara, who is fuming. Tobi shivers slightly underneath my touch, and I know Deidara's jealous of the attention I'm giving him. After I finish giving Tobi a tongue-bath, I suck on the spot a little, making Tobi shudder and whimper.

"What are you doing NOW, yeah?!" Deidara fumes at me.

"I'm making sure it doesn't bleed again, YEAH," I say seductively in Tobi's ear, making sure I'm loud enough for Deidara to hear. I can tell Tobi's smirking underneath his bright orange mask. I continue to "treat his wound," and soon I try to pull away enough to break contact. Tobi's hand suddenly reaches up and holds my head in place against his neck, and he whispers, "Can Aria give Tobi that feeling again, please?"

Smirking, I reclaim contact and suck again as he grips my hair and whimpers again. Deidara has anime veins out the wazoo, and his face is bright red. I also notice the smoke trickling out of his ears. He gets angry anime style, with buggy white eyes and non-existent pupils. He is practically foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog on the rampage. I can hear Akamaru laughing behind me, and I'm guessing that Gaara is hiding his amusement. Soon enough I pull away, still smirking slightly and lean back in to kiss it.

"Better, Tobi?" I question, hiding how very close to laughter I actually am.

"Yes, Tobi feels better. Thank you, Aria-chan!" Tobi says cheerfully. I back away and smile at him. I turn back to Gaara and Akamaru and smirk widely. I glance back at Deidara, who seems to still be in a state of shock. I smile and wink at Gaara, Akamaru, and Tobi before I disappear and suddenly reappear directly beside Deidara.

"So, are we going or what?" I ask as he jumps from my sudden appearance. I smirk and thread my arm through his and begin to drag him along. Soon he regains control of his body and begins walking on his own. I let go of his arm and run behind Tobi. Hollering, I jump and land on his back, "TOBI, PIGGYBACK ARIA PLEASE!"

I can practically hear Tobi grinning through his mask as he takes hold of my thighs tightly before rushing further down the road. I'm giggling like a child as he races forward before turning around and rushing back. I hold on tightly to his shoulders as wind whips through my hair from his speed. He passes the other three and continues on behind them before turning again and repeating the process. I continue to laugh as he races back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. He tires out after Gaara, Deidara, and Akamaru make it a few miles down the road. He slows to a walk beside Akamaru, and I rest my head on the back of his shoulder with my arms hung loosely around his neck. Smiling lightly, I close my eyes and sigh in content. The gentle motion of Tobi's strides is beginning to lull me into a peaceful state of blissful serenity. I peek open my eyes enough to sneak a look at Gaara and Deidara; Gaara has an emotionless mask on his face, but I can see amusement in his eyes. Deidara, on the other hand, is sending looks of envy and rage at Tobi, who is continuing to walk at a leisurely pace. Most surprisingly of all, however, is the quietness of the late afternoon. Tobi is walking along _silently_.

*Aria, Deidara's scent has a murderous tinge.*

"Whatcha mean, Kama?" I mumble quietly. Gaara raises an eyebrow at me. Deidara and Tobi haven't seemed to notice. Akamaru continues to pad along beside Tobi and me as he pants in the afternoon heat.

*Actually, I suppose it's more of a jealous tinge. Perhaps the affection was a little much?*

"Maybe so," I mutter, "But still. The bird should know when to give up the hunt for a worm, you know?"

*This is true.* Akamaru pants in laughter. Gaara shoots a look at us, and I smile vaguely in his direction. *But are you calling yourself a worm, dear Aria?*

"Yes," I say, raising my voice slightly. Smirking, I lower it again so only Akamaru, and inevitably Tobi, can hear what I say next. "I am quite a catch, after all."

Akamaru sneezes in acknowledgement. *Yes. It's too bad that Kiba has yet to display his feelings, ne?*

"Yes, but what about the cat? So majestic, yet entirely high and mighty, supposedly superior to the rest of us."

*Yes, Kankuro is quite the obnoxious flirt, isn't he? But you aren't ever serious about him, are you?*

"No, never," I say before smirking. "I've always been more fond of dogs, anyway."

Akamaru wags his tail to show how pleased he is with my statement.

*That you have, Aria. It's even been quite plain to me how much you like dogs.*

"True, true," I mumble. "Jashin knows I've tried to make it obvious how much I like nin dogs, Kama, but you're just now catching on, ne?"

*Well, it took quite awhile for him to even admit to me that he fawns after you.* Akamaru cocks his head while he trots along the road.

"As the deer pant-eth for the water, dear Akamaru," I sing quietly while smirking.

*So his soul long-eth after thee, dear Aria.* Akamaru chuckles in his doggy laughter. Also chuckling quietly, I notice Gaara giving me a look, plainly stating that I WILL, in fact, be telling him about this nature conversation later on in the evening. I blink a few times and open my eyes the rest of the way before tapping Tobi on the shoulder.

"Hey, Tobi?"

"Yes, Aria-chan?"

"Can Tobi put Aria down, please?"

"Why?" Tobi asks, sounding disappointed. "Tobi doesn't mind. Is Aria-chan uncomfortable sitting on Tobi?"

"No, Tobi," I say with a smile. "Aria just wants to walk beside Tobi for a little bit."

"Okay, Aria-chan," Tobi nods his agreement as he stops to kneel. "Tobi will put Aria-chan down now."

"Thanks, Tobi," I say while sliding off his back. "Besides, we are getting close to Konoha. Gaara, if you will, love?"

Noticing the gate in the distance, Gaara nods his consent. "Do not squirm. I will not hurt either of you by Aria's request, but you must hold still so I can transport us all at once."

Deidara and Tobi nod while Akamaru and I stand and wait. Soon, sand begins to spill out of Gaara's gourd. It wraps around Akamaru's feet and mine, and it tickles as it slides slowly up my waist. I giggle a little and glance over to see a comical sight. It's plain to see that Tobi is excited about getting to play with Gaara's sand, but Deidara is a different story. He is twitching uncontrollably and trying not to look afraid. After all, he knows the kind of power Gaara possesses. Gaara glances at me and meets my eyes; it's plain to see he is highly amused by Deidara's reaction. Soon the sand envelopes us entirely, and we are cast into the dark together. A slight whirling sound is heard following a jerking feeling behind our navels. Soon enough the sand begins to retreat, and I see that we are standing outside of my house.

I grin and look over to see Deidara shaking slightly and Tobi's posture disappointed at the sand going back into Gaara's gourd. I motion for them to follow me and lead them into my home. After leading them into the living room and shutting the door, I call for Kankuro and Temari, who I expect to be upstairs. I am not disappointed. They come down the stairs, Temari gracefully and Kankuro thundering like an elephant, and freeze when they see Deidara and Tobi standing behind Gaara, Akamaru, and me. They point, mouths gaping, and I hold up a hand.

"Pyrotechnic master Deidara is not to be hurt," I command as I turn around to face the S-rank criminals. "Neither is Tobi. Deidara and Tobi, there is no hurting my friends. Please do not leave my house because I don't want you to be arrested or killed. We will only exit when dusk has fallen. Meanwhile, Deidara, you can begin setting up your wonderful display of explosions. Tobi, don't break anything. You can both help yourself to anything in the kitchen or elsewhere in the house, but stay out of things that do not belong to you. For example, my underwear drawer."

I say the last part with a slight glare in Kankuro's direction. He smiles at me innocently. I hold out a hand, saying, "Hand them over now. Don't make me come over there."

His grin falls off his face. He grumbles as he reaches into his pocket and tosses my skimpiest pair of panties into my awaiting hand. I curl my fist around them and hold them tightly. "And before you say anything, they were a gag gift from you on my last birthday, remember? And yes, I've worn them ONCE, but only because I forgot to do laundry the night before a mission."

His grin returns and transforms into a smirk. Temari looks as if she's trying not to laugh while Akamaru is laughing. Tobi and Gaara look innocent, but I see amusement in Gaara's eyes as well as a light blush across his face. He knows as well as I do that I've just told a blatant lie to Kankuro, who didn't detect it, oddly enough. Deidara has hidden his face behind the back of his hand and is plainly stifling laughter.

"Then why'd you keep them?" Kankuro asks, and I roll my eyes.

"So you could keep dreaming of the day you see me in them. Now, Gaara, Akamaru, and I are going out for… further preparations. Can I leave you guys in charge of setting up outside?"

"What are you guys doing?" Kankuro asks me.

"Shopping!" I grin. Temari jumps at the chance.

"Can I go, too?!" I grin at her and turn to Kankuro, Deidara, and Tobi. "Can I trust you guys NOT to kill each other and to take care of setting up?"

They nod, and I give out final instructions. "Kankuro, you take care of setting up outside, then we'll help when we come back. We shouldn't be too long. Deidara, no explosions allowed in the house. Tobi, no breaking things. Help each other, and play nicely. We'll be back soon."

They nod, and the four of us head out the door. I glance at Kiba's house and see him stretching with his back to the window. He's not wearing a shirt, making his lean and muscular back ripple. Akamaru nudges me, and I glance back at him, grinning sheepishly. "Yes?"

*Aria,* Akamaru shakes his head. *You were drooling.*

"Was not," I mutter. Gaara and Temari glance at me questioningly, and I shake my head. "It's nothing."

"What were you two discussing a while ago, love?" Gaara asks. Temari looks interested. "You should tell me now before I decide to invoke a game to find out."

I grin. "Fair enough. Well, Akamaru told me Deidara was jealous, right?"

I continue chatting, telling the story, while Temari begins to laugh. Gaara is plainly fighting the urge to grin in public, and Akamaru is barking laughter. I'm grinning as I relive the event. My story ends as we stop outside a store, my back to the entrance. Temari and Gaara glance behind me. Her grin grows as Gaara's eyes widen. Akamaru shakes his head.

*You'll be giving him ideas. You know that right?* I grin and look down at him while scratching his ears.

"That's what I'm going for, Kama, dearest!" I say with a wide grin. "I WANT to give him ideas!"

Temari giggles and gets an excited gleam in her eyes. Gaara stares at me, obviously wondering why in the HELL he is here. I look over at him, and a smirk slides onto my face. "Temari's here for obvious reasons. Kama's here because he wants to be. You're here for the guy's input."

"…" Gaara is silent. "Can go home and tell Kankuro to meet you at the park? I'd rather set up."

I smirk and nod my agreement. "Thanks, Gaara. I always knew I could count on you, love."

He looks extremely relieved, and he soon disappears in a whirl of sand. Three minutes later, he reappears with Kankuro by his side, who looks bewildered. He spins around and sees Temari, Akamaru, and me all grinning. He then notices the store behind me. A wide grin stretches across his face, and I return it. "Gaara decided he didn't want to help me with this portion of the setup. Would you be so kind, Kankuro, as to provide a male opinion?"

He turns around to Gaara and waves. "See ya."

Gaara nods and disappears in yet another whirl of sand. Temari laughs at the priceless look on Gaara's face while Akamaru pants in amusement. I snicker at the suddenly wistful look that has suddenly appeared on Kankuro's face. "Akamaru, Kankuro, Temari, shall we enter?"

Temari and Akamaru nod, and Kankuro can't help but to comment with a wide smile. "Aria, I would LOVE to help you pick out some lingerie."

***Short time skip, yet again. Sorry, folks. I don't know what to do for fillers, so we are skipping to the part where the lovely Anika makes an appearance. Or rather, the part where we kidnap her for a party. ^^ Here we go!***

"Gaara, you ready?"

He nods in confirmation. I am dressed in black pants, a black tank top, and a black toboggan on my head. I have smeared eye black under my eyes and randomly around my face, mainly to make fun of Kankuro. He wasn't too pleased when I reemerged from the bathroom and informed him of the reason I did that. Gaara and I are sitting outside of Anika's house in some bushes. Akamaru is beside me panting. It's almost seven, and dusk has just about set. I'm jumpy with anticipation. Akamaru shakes his head.

*Aria, you're acting very similar to a dog in heat.*

"And what gender, may I ask?"

*Male.*

I burst out in a fit of giggles, and Gaara looks as me curiously. I shrug while trying to stifle my laughter. "Akamaru told me that, in my edgy state, I resemble a dog in heat. A male dog, to be precise."

Gaara's eyes widen before a smirk sets in. "He's right, you know. Calm down. We only have thirty more seconds to wait, love."

"Thank Jashin!"

*I'll second that.*

I bounce around excitedly on the balls of my feet, still crouched in the bushes as the clock ticks closer to the designated time of our pinpointed arrival. Time seems to be moving infuriatingly slowly just to antagonize me when….

"It's time."

I jump up and race around Anika's house to her backyard. I let out a war cry with Akamaru – also wearing eye black, one of my black shirts, and a black doggy toboggan – bounding after me, howling excitedly. Gaara shakes his head and smiles before he transports himself to the peak of the roof to watch the scene unfold. I jump up and land on Akamaru's back. While holding on to the scruff of his neck with one hand, I pump my right arm in the air, still whooping wildly. Howling together, Akamaru and I race wildly through the guests, disrupting the get-together gleefully. As we continue to race around, people are looking at us, obviously questioning my sanity. Others, mainly those who live here in Konoha and know me well, merely shake their heads and smile at my antics. I suddenly spot Anika and howl loudly, imitating Kiba when he gets excited.

"YAHOOOOOOOO! Akamaru, hard right!" He howls in answer and turns in the indicated direction. As we pass her, I grab Anika by her arm and swing her behind me to land on Akamaru. She laughs and wraps her arms around my waist. I throw my right arm into the air and give yet another war cry. "I'm busting you out! We have to escape the chamber of torture!"

Akamaru skids around and begins to charge back through the crowd as I yell, "GAAAARAAAAA!"

We are soon enveloped in sand and suddenly disappear. We reappear on the street in front of Anika's house, and Akamaru begins to bound down the street. The partygoers hear our excited howls echoing back as we charge down the street and disappear from view.

***Short skip in time until we are back at my house.***

"We're heeeeere!" I cry as we race into the house, laughing wildly. Gaara appears next to me, smiling slightly. "Akamaru, it's time for you to go get Kiba! Hike!"

He woofs his agreement and informs me they will arrive in ten minutes. I race up to the bathroom to wash my face off and change into a white tank top and jeans. I toss the hat on my bed, and I laugh as I remember I forgot to undress Akamaru. Smiling, I let my hair down and pick up a brush, sighing slightly. A knock sounds on my door. I grunt as it opens. I glance behind me to see Kankuro and toss him the brush. He catches it and smiles slightly. I flop onto my bed, and he takes a seat behind me, running the brush through my hair. Once he's finished, I ask him a question.

"You haven't met Anika yet, have you?" He shakes his head. I grin arrogantly before a soft smile falls on my face. "I think you'll like her, Kankuro. I mean, no one's as good for you as me, but I think she'll do."

"Will she now?" He lays the brush aside, and I turn to face him.

"Yeah," I smile as I lean forward and hug him. He returns the hug as I continue speaking. "I think she will."

"So, you're sole purpose in having me here is to set me up with Anika?"

"Pretty much, yeah," I grin. "You can't tell me your disappointed."

"I'm not," he grins back. "Let's go."

We start out the door, and I hear the doorbell ring. He nods to me before heading out the backdoor to the party where everyone else has already gone. I open the front door to see Kiba in a pair of jeans and a light blue button up shirt. The first two buttons have been left undone, and the collar is flipped down. _He looks… HOT! _I think, hiding a grin. I smile instead and motion him in. I see Akamaru behind him, no longer wearing my clothing or the eye black. I take Kiba's bag and toss it on the couch before turning back to face him.

"Sorry about sending him back looking totally spy-like, Kiba," I say as I rub the back of my neck sheepishly.

"No problem," he smiles. "So, what's going on?"

"You'll see!" I grin and grab his hand, not missing the slight blush that plays across his cheeks. I drag him through the house and out the backdoor to the party. He looks around in shock, obviously confused.

"What's this?"

"My party!" I pause. "Didn't I tell you it was a party?"

He shakes his head. "No, I don't think you did."

"Oh," I pause again. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later, okay? I promise!"

*Oh please.* Akamaru sighs. *The only thing this boy wants is to get you to kiss him. Then his life would be complete.*

Kiba coughs as I look down at Akamaru. I look innocently clueless as I ask Kiba what he said. He blushes more noticeably and rubs the back of his neck nervously. "It's nothing, Aria. Akamaru… is just making fun of me, is all."

"What's he saying?" I ask and am pleased to see Kiba blush even darker. He's saved from answering as Anika bounces over.

"Holy freaking apple PIE, Aria! This is awesome!" I grin at her reaction.

"Just for you!" I say as she grabs my arm. I turn to Kiba. "I'll be right back, okay? I have someone I want her to meet!"

Kiba inclines his head, still blushing, as I lead Anika away through the crowd. I soon spot Temari and Shikamaru sitting together on a bench. Tobi is, surprisingly, dancing around a bunch of highly explosive things with a sparkler in hand. I'm waiting for the boom as I look around for Kankuro. I spot him getting a drink and drag Anika over there, who suddenly looks rather shy.

"Kankuro!" I call and am pleased to see him turn my way. A grin slides onto his face as he looks at the girl being pulled along. "This is Anika, my favorite female friend… besides Temari, of course! Anika, this is my favorite Suna puppet master, the charming…"

I pause to whisper in her ear, "and _sexy_!"

My voice returns to normal as I continue, "Kankuro!"

I return my voice to a whisper in her ear again, "He's _really_ good with his hands!"

My voice returns, yet again, to normal, "So, have fun! I introduced you to Temari and Gaara already, and since you already know Shikamaru, Deidara, Tobi, and Kiba, let the party BEGIN!!!"

I race away, calling behind me, "See ya!"

I've just reached Kiba as Temari calls out behind me: "GAME TIME! Aria left me in charge of this, so it is, inevitably, TRUTH OR DARE TIME!"

I hear a chorus of groans, one of which is my own, as we are all ushered inside. Temari forces us to sit in a circle. The usual goes on: embarrassing revelations, awkward and weird dares… the works. After an incredibly abnormal dare where Kankuro had to sing a 1970's love ballad to a twitching Deidara, he turned his eyes to me.

"Aria," Kankuro grinned. "Truth or dare?"

Well, crap. I know if I pick truth, he's going to make me tell everyone that I like Kiba. On the other hand, I know if I pick dare, he's going to make me DO something to Kiba. I sigh. I'm not going to be able to win this round. I look up at him dully and open my mouth. I take a deep breath and expel it forcefully. I shut my mouth and glance at Akamaru, who is on the opposite side of me from Kiba. I raise my eyebrow, and he pants quietly enough so Kiba can't hear him.

*I know. You can't win, can you?* I shake my head as he quietly continues. *I'd pick dare then. Might as well have some fun in making the kid blush, right?*

I nod, speaking as if talking to myself. "Yeah, that might be the best choice." I turn back to Kankuro with a grin stretched across my face. "I pick dare, bubble butt."

Kankuro blushes as I refer to his old nickname. I had given him that nickname one day while he was visiting Suna when we were kids. He was six and I was four. I decide that, if I get the chance later, I'll make him tell that story. Everyone in the circle, Shikamaru included, laughs at my choice of words. I grin cheekily as he glares at me. A smirk stretches across his face, and I know I'm in for it.

"Aria, dear," he says sweetly.

"Yes, dearest bottom made of bubbles?" He colors slightly darker as I continue to smile innocently.

"I dare you…" he motions me over with a glint in his eyes. He whispers the rest of the dare in my ear. "… to, later in the party and in front of everyone, confess your undying love and devotion to the ever-blushing Kiba and then plant a huge wet one on him. You have to look completely serious, and when you kiss him there are requirements as well. You have to wrap your arms around his neck, and kiss him for at least thirty seconds."

"How will I know?" I ask in reference to the time. He leans back in to whisper in my ear.

"Easy. Since you'll be in front of everyone, I'll make some random and possibly perverted comment with some reference to hooking up or getting laid. Easy enough?" I nod and head back over to my seat.

"I'll do it, dattebayo!" I grin. Everyone looks at me curiously as I continue to smile. "So, Anika, truth or dare?"

***Short time skip after the game to everyone changing into his or her pajamas. Although, you'll have to tune in next time! I've decided to end it here today because I'm proud for publishing this! ^^ Tune in for the finale, Fourth of July (Part D)!***


	4. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?

***Tip: when mentioned, I suggest you check out to listen to "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" by Def Leppard and "I Know What I Want" by No Secrets. The songs seriously fit the mood and theme of their prospective parts, and those are the songs that were on my playlist while I wrote. It's in the best interest of the writing to listen to those two songs specifically when mentioned. Arigato!***

I grin at Akamaru as Temari, Anika, and I change in my room. The guys are all changing in Kankuro's room down the hall, where all the beds are made up. The game ended a few minutes before. I had dared Anika to spend ten minutes in the closet with Kankuro later in the evening. The only rule I had whispered in her ear was forbidding sex in my closet. I decided that would be best, especially since they just met each other. Knowing the guys are far enough away not to hear us, I tell the girls and Akamaru of my dare. The girls squeal. They both, like Gaara, figured out around the same time I did that I do have a thing for the mutt. After I pull the lingerie on delicately, I pull on a white tank top and the pajamas Kiba gave me.

*Aria,* Akamaru woofs. *Your confession is going to be serious. What are you going to do if Kiba realizes that the confession is what you were dared to make and thinks all your words are just for the dare?*

I freeze, not having thought that over. "I… I don't know, Kama." The girls look at me questioningly, and I repeat what Akamaru asked me.

"It'll be fine, Aria!" Temari assures me.

"Yeah, he does like you, after all 'Ria!" Anika adds. I smile at them gratefully and walk out of my room. The girls and Akamaru follow me. I nod.

"Yeah. It'll be fine."

The guys' door opens, and they trudge out in their pajamas. Deidara looks at me pleadingly, and I nod in consent. "Ten minutes, Deidara."

A grin lights his face, and he takes off down the hall to set up his fireworks. I glance at Anika and Kankuro. "Dare time, 'Nika!"

She blushes, and Kankuro grins slightly. He takes her hand and leads her into the closet downstairs. I shut the door and call after them, "Ten minutes!"

I flop down on the couch with Temari, who begins to chat with me. Kiba settles himself on the couch for a talk with Shikamaru, who is awake, surprisingly enough. I notice he and Temari are giving each other glances every once in awhile, and I grin.

"Temari, you really should tell him that you like him."

"I can't do that, Aria!" She exclaims while glancing at him. She blushes slightly and looks away after having made eye contact. I am amused to see him displaying the same reaction. We continue to chat quietly, changing our topic and straying away from her fantasizing to my dare. I am excited to finally let Kiba know that I like him, but some part of me wants to hold back until he tells me that he likes me _first_. I sigh quietly and tell Temari of my predicament. She shakes her head and smiles slightly.

"The best thing you can do, Aria, is to let him know. After all," she says, "he may never find the guts to tell you, and then look what you'll have missed!"

*Surprisingly, the blonde makes a good point. You should listen to her.*

"You make a good point, 'Mari, and I should listen to you, ne?" I say, careful to acknowledge both of them with the one statement. Kiba glances over, wondering how his dog and I can be thinking so much alike. Catching his glance, I look over to Akamaru. "What do you think, 'Kama?"

*Do the dare, do the dare!*

"Nani? Do you want me to do the dare or something?" A sneeze from Akamaru confirms his request, and I glance at the clock on the wall. Smirking slightly, I stand and walk over to the closet door, all the while hearing muffled bumps and breathy whispers. I clear my throat and knock on the door quietly. "You two have thirty seconds before I open the door. The fireworks are almost ready, loves!"

A grunt and a giggle are the responses I receive, and I am pleased with my work. I prance back over to the couch and pull Temari up by the hand. Akamaru also rises. Deidara bursts in the backdoor just as Kankuro and Anika emerge from the depths of my closet, hand in hand and grinning at each other. Temari's smirk matches my own. Kankuro gives me a meaningful glance, which I acknowledge with a slight inclining of my head. As Shikamaru and Kiba stand, they head their separate ways: Shikamaru to Temari and Kiba to Akamaru, who also happens to be standing next to me.

*Good luck, Aria.* Akamaru pants. I look down at him questioningly before looking at Kiba with my head tilted in "confusion."

"He said, 'Good luck, Aria.'"

"Ah, I see! Thank you, Kama! I'll do my best!" I grin down and scratch his ears as he woofs softly and wags his tail. I wink at him and stand back up. Kiba turns around since Deidara has come in to inform us all that his amazing displays of fiery goodness are ready to begin detonating. I hand Tobi another sparkler, and he gets excited again. He looks slightly disappointed when I tell him that he can't light it in the house. He turns to head outside, but I turn to Kiba. His back is to me, and I take a deep breath as I tap his shoulder softly. He turns from his conversation with the now-dating Anika and Kankuro and raises his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah?" I take a deep breath and jump slightly when I suddenly feel a cold and wet nose nuzzling into my hand. I glance down to see Akamaru wagging his tail at me, silently urging and cheering me on. Kankuro is grinning at me from behind Kiba, and Anika is mouthing "Go for it!" from the same position. I take a second breath and look into Kiba's eyes as I dig my hand into Akamaru's ruff for comfort and support.

"Kiba…" I trail off, realizing everyone is listening. He cocks his head at me, looking more like a confused puppy than usual.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" I shake my head at his statement and decide to simply tell the truth.

"Kiba," I begin again. "I have something rather… important to tell you. I've been watching you for a long time. Whether you know it or not, I'm always there watching out for you. I always know when you're happy or upset or just not feeling like yourself. And it affects me, too. I know that this is fully unexpected, but I guess what I'm trying to say…"

Akamaru nudges my leg with his nose. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you, Inuzuka Kiba." I allow myself to smile, feeling good that the words are finally coming out. I take a turn with my confession. "I am cynical and lazy, and more often than not, I make jokes at your expense. I am sarcastic, and I like to tease you. I give you a hard time because it's fun. I enjoy torturing you endlessly, and I don't plan to stop any time soon. I enjoy our morning ritual, and I have to admit that I'm the one that has been sabotaging your mind with… let's call them 'visual reminders.'" I smirk as his eyes widen in understanding. "But over all the years, I've figured something out about myself."

Akamaru leans into my leg upon hearing me pause again, and I tighten my grip on his fur. I look at my feet before looking back up into his face and taking another breath.

"I love you, and there's nothing that can change that. I love you, I'm IN love with you, and I hope that you can accept me as I am."

With that said, I place my right hand on his cheek and the other behind his head. I lean in quickly and kiss him softly, my heart fluttering in excitement. His hands reach up and grab my wrists, giving away his surprise… not that I couldn't already smell it on him. I continue to kiss him unhesitatingly.

_Why isn't he kissing me back?!_ Soon, I hear a whistle.

"Way to go, mutt face! Get some tongue action!" I hear snickers around the room as I slowly pull away while opening my eyes. I look up at Kiba and see his face is expressionless. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. Kiba releases my arms from his grip, and I look down at the ground as I turn away and walk outside. Everyone else watches me go. Tears begin to form in my eyes, but I refuse to let them out. I take a deep and shaking breath before calling over my shoulder.

"A-are going to do this, Deidara, or what?" I jump onto the roof as Deidara races outside with everyone following quickly behind. I walk across the roof and slip onto my balcony on the other side of the house. I slide open the door and flop across my bed. As I stare at the ceiling, I begin to wonder if I made a mistake. I hear the first of the fireworks go off and hear people gasping in delight. Tobi is, by far, the loudest.

"Deidara-sempai! Tobi thinks that was AMAZING!" A pause is heard before the whizzing of another firework indicates its travel before Tobi cries, "Another, sempai! So pretty!"

I hear something click across my balcony and feel something land on my bed. I dig my hand into Akamaru's fur as he lays next to me.

"Kama… what did I do wrong?" He whines, absolutely unsure.

*I… don't know, Aria. Even I could tell that your confession was the truth. There's no way he could have mistaken it. And he didn't know it was your dare, anyway.*

I sigh and hold back tears. "I screwed up, Kama. He… doesn't like me. We were… wrong."

*No, we weren't wrong.* Akamaru sighs and nudges my side, and I turn over to wrap my arms around him. I bury my face in his fur. Tired of hearing people and explosions, I get up and shut both of my doors as well as shutting the blinds. I pick up my iPod and plug it into my stereo. It's not as big as the one I have downstairs, but it will do for the time being. I put it on shuffle and lie back down, resuming my former position across Akamaru. Panic at the Disco's "Time to Dance," played by the Vitamin String Quartet, plays softly through my stereo. I sigh and hold Akamaru more tightly as he just whines. Several more songs play, including "Pork and Beans" by Weezer, "Truth" by Seether, "Headstrong" by Trapt, and "Dismissed" by ZOEgirl. I eventually get to the point that no more tears try to build up. I feel as if I have lost energy by not crying. I hear a soft knock at my door and glance at Akamaru.

*Kankuro.* I sigh at Akamaru's word.

"Yes?" He opens the door as "Soul Tattoo" by Plus One begins to play. He doesn't say anything as he picks up my brush and sits next to my hunched figure. He gently pulls me up and backward into his arms. He begins to brush my hair as I entangle my hand into the white fur in front of me. Akamaru lays his head in my lap as I allow myself to begin relaxing against Kankuro's strong form. A few songs go by before another sound is heard over the music in the background.

"I'm sorry, Aria. I… thought I was helping. I was wrong." He continues with even strokes. I place my free hand on his knee.

"It's not your fault, Kankuro." We listen as the song changes to one by Jump 5: "It's a Beautiful World."

Akamaru whines, and I continue what I had been saying. "I shouldn't have poured out my soul to him then. I guess it was kind of obvious that that was the dare, but you'd think that he'd have realized that I meant everything I said."

I sigh as Kankuro stiffens. "You meant… everything?"

"Yeah," I nod slightly. "I meant every word of what I said. And do you want to know the worst part?"

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Akamaru whines at Kankuro's words. "What… was the worst part?"

"He didn't even… kiss me back." I whisper the last half of the sentence so that it's barely audible, but I know that the other both heard my words. Akamaru licks the hand I have on Kankuro's leg.

*He… didn't?*

"No, Kama. He didn't."

Kankuro is silent and stops brushing my hair. He finishes dragging it through the section he's in before laying it aside on the table and hugging me tightly to him. "I'm… so sorry, 'Ria. There's nothing I can do to take it back...."

I fold my free arm across the two around my waist and lean backward into him. The next track to play is "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" by Def Leppard, and I take a shuddering breath. "I… don't regret it, Kankuro."

Akamaru and Kankuro both make surprised noises at this remark, but I just shake my head. "My feelings are out in the open, even if he thinks it was just a dare. I know now that he doesn't return them, or he would have at least blushed."

Kankuro sighs and buries his face into my right shoulder. I lean my head on his. "Kankuro, you should go back to Anika and the party. I'm depending on you guys to make sure nothing gets out of hand."

He pulls away slightly. "Are you… sure?"

"Yes," I nod. "Just, please, don't let anyone else up to see me, okay? I don't want to see anyone right now. I'm glad you came up, but I'd like to be alone for a little while now, okay?"

"Alright, Aria. I can do that for you, at least. Gaara will help me by keeping watch to make sure that no one disturbs you." He turns me halfway in his arms and kisses me on my forehead. "If you need me, just holler. Okay?"

I nod and hug him before letting him go. "I will."

He stands and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh and lay down using Akamaru's side as a pillow. He shifts slightly before laying his head down to rest with me. Before long, I tire of my vegetative state and slide off my bed and open the sliding door after restarting the song. Akamaru hops off the bed to follow me. I leap on to the roof, leaving my door open so I can still hear the soft music playing. The only one sitting up here is Gaara. I sit next to him with Akamaru at my side as the first lyrics are sung. He glances over at me as I glance down at the party below. I see Kankuro sitting behind Anika, his arms around her waist. She's leaning back into his embrace and is smiling. A small smile plays across Kankuro's lips as he nuzzles into his hair. I see him give a regretful look back toward my end of the house before sighing and turning back around to watch Deidara's fireworks display. Tobi is continuing to run around like a maniac with a lit sparkler. Shikamaru and Temari are lying and sitting, respectively, next to each other and holding each other's hand. I search the yard for Kiba before spotting him in my favorite tree. He's sitting on the branch I sleep on and staring into the sky, not seeing anything, with a look on his face as if he were heartbroken. I glance over at Gaara and see he's watching me from the corner of his eye.

"Do you want to talk, love?" He asks quietly. I shake my head.

"You already heard mine and Kankuro's conversation. I have… nothing more to say on the matter." He nods in agreement, and I look back toward the sky.

"I was on your balcony, but he beat me in. I simply decided to listen to make sure he didn't make anything worse."

"Thank you, love." I sigh quietly. "You've yet to let me down."

"I hope I never do, Aria." That said, he places his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest gently. I allow myself to be leaned into him and continue to stare at the sky. After watching a few more of Deidara's colorful explosions, I glance over at Kiba again to see he has hidden his face in the palm of his hand.

"Kama," I whisper. He lifts his head to look at me.

"What is Kiba doing?" Akamaru glances at the tree I like to nap in and seems surprised after sniffing the air. He glances back at me before resting his head on his front paws again. He lets out another sigh.

*He's… trying not to cry.*

I sit up and look for myself, and I notice his shoulders shaking slightly. I stand slowly. Akamaru moves to get up, but I wave him down. "I… need to do this alone, Kama."

He woofs quietly in agreement and settles back down next to Gaara. I stealthily jump down from our perch and land in the grass. I sneak across the side of the yard and jump up into one of the branches. Kiba moves his head slightly in acknowledgement of the noise and sniffs. I swallow, noticing immediately that my throat has constricted. I take a breath before I speak.

"Kiba." I see him stiffen as he considers answering.

"Yes?" The word is cold and clipped like ice. I pause, uncertain if he wants my company, but decide to risk the two questions I have.

"Can… I join you?" Another lengthy pause fills the air, only broken by the explosions and Tobi's squeals of delight.

"… I suppose you can." His answer makes me happier before his next words take me back down again. "It's your tree after all."

He gets up to leave after I've sat on a branch near his. My breath hitches, and my next words come out in a type of squeaky whisper. "Kiba, please stay."

He pauses before sighing and resuming his seat. He stares straight ahead, effectively avoiding looking at any part of me. I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. I take a deep breath and let it out.

"Please listen to what I have to say." I get only a miniscule nod, but that's enough to keep my heart beating. "Kiba… I'm sorry. I… shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have pushed you into that situation. I thought I knew how you would react, but… I was wrong. I didn't stop to consider that maybe you didn't want that, but there's nothing I can do now but regret my actions."

I pause and take another breath, tearing my attention from his inert form and focusing on the branch in front of me before continuing. "I thought that you felt the same way I do, and I didn't realize that you obviously don't. So, I have only one question left. Can you… somehow, perhaps… forget what happened, so that we can move on? I… don't think I could handle losing your friendship, and I'd rather just remain friends with you than to lose you altogether. Please, forget everything I told you in my living room and be my friend again."

My voice breaks on the last word, and a tear rolls down my cheek. My lower lip trembles, and I bury my face in my knees. I know Kiba hasn't moved, but I can't see his face to know if he'll forgive me or not. My throat constricts again, making it hard for me to breathe properly. My shoulders shake as silent sobs rattle through my body. I hear him shift slightly and know he is now facing me. I'm too afraid to look up at him, afraid of what he'll think, afraid of how he'll feel, afraid of a second rejection….

"Aria." His voice is soft. He repeats himself, but his voice cracks on my name the second time. I take the chance and look up with tears streaming hysterically down my face. Our eyes lock, and neither of us can see anything but one emotion in the other's eyes: I see pain through the tears in his eyes, and he sees fear in mine. He reaches out for me, and I take his hand, stumbling a little in my haste to join him on the wider branch. I fall into his arms, which enfold around me securely, holding me tightly against his chest. I shake with sobs as tears continue to stream down my face. He holds me even more closely to his chest.

"Wh-what exactly was Kankuro's dare, Aria?" He whispers into my hair, voice breaking slightly on the question as if he were choking on it. I look up at him, hesitation shining through the veil of tears in my eyes. He places his right hand on my cheek, and I lean into it. I never look away as I answer his question.

"He d-dared me 'to conf-fess my undying l-love and d-d-devotion t-to the ever-b-blushing Kiba and then p-plant a huge wet one on him.' I was required to d-do it in f-front of everyone else as well as wrap m-my arms around y-your neck and k-k-kiss y-you for at least t-thirty seconds." I take a deep breath and am relieved to find the sobs have almost disappeared before I continue. "He pretty much just d-dared me to tell you how I feel and to kiss you. I'm sorry. I thought you liked me, and I want t-to forget about all of this and just be your f-friend again."

"No," Kiba says as my eyes widen. "I don't want to be your friend."

"K-Kiba…"

"I…" He cuts himself off. My eyes widen further as he presses his lips to mine, almost urgently. A few seconds into it, my senses recover enough to kiss him back frantically. My left arm winds itself around his neck as my right hand finds itself entangled in his hair, pulling him as close as possible. I tilt my head to give myself a better hold on him as well as better access to his mouth. His arms, both back around my waist, pull me even closer than before, if that's even possible. His right arm travels to the middle of my upper back while his left remains in the small of my back, still holding me tightly, flush against his own body. I feel a current pulse through my being as my entire body grinds into his, both perfectly aligned with the other. Our lips continue to move wildly against the other's, desperate for contact. I break away, panting hard, to whisper a name.

"G-Gaara!" Kiba's eyes cloud in confusion and slight anger, then complete fear, as sand suddenly envelopes us. A familiar jerking behind my navel brings me to my room where the Def Leppard song is continuing to play. We are deposited on my bed, with Kiba on top. The sand disappears as I whisper my thanks. It shuts my sliding door on its way out, as well as hitting the button to switch the track. As the sand leaves, "I Know What I Want" by No Secrets begins to play from my stereo speakers, and I roll over to pin Kiba beneath me and kiss him recklessly and without abandon. I break away long enough to stumble off the bed and lock both of my doors. I turn around, only to be pressed against the door since he has followed me from the bed. He wraps his arms back around my body, and I return the favor, pulling him closer to press my lips and body against his.

I let out a squeak and a moan of surprise and enjoyment as his hands grab my ass. I feel him smirk into the kiss, and I realize that I have no idea when his tongue invaded my mouth. All I know is that it feels like it's in exactly the right place, right where it belongs. He pulls away from my mouth and leans his cheek against mine, both of us panting heavily. His breath hits my ear, filling me with lust. He kisses down my neck, and my grip on him tightens. I can feel a bulge growing in his loose pants. He rubs his hands back up my ass to my lower back, where he goes under my shirt to feel my skin. Pulling his head back up to meet mine, I moan again into his mouth and don't waste another second before ripping his shirt off and running my hands down the length of his chest and stomach.

As my hands caress his pectorals and abdomen, he trails his hands over my bare sides and stomach. He manages to untie my pants strings, and one swift tug later, they are lying on the floor next to his shirt. My tank top and his pants quickly follow. He glances down in surprise, breaking our feverish kisses to stare at the silky material beneath his fingertips. His pants hit the tops of my breasts, which are exposed by the lingerie, and drives me over the edge. A smirk slides onto his face as his eyes meet mine, my face twisted into an impish grin.

"So, is that the surprise you were talking about?"

"That depends," I say, giving the smartass answer. "Are you astonished?"

His smirk becomes wider as he stares down at his prize. "Very much so."

"Are you pleased?"

"Very much so."

"Do you like?"

"Very much so. But at the risk of sounding like Kankuro..." He leans in closer to my ear, one hand brushing against my breast and coaxing yet another moan from my throat. "I'd like it better on the floor."

*** An hour or so later.***

I snuggle in closer to my new boyfriend's chest as his arms wrap around me more tightly. I trace designs over his chest as he returns the favor on my back. I sigh in content.

"This night really has turned out perfectly, Kiba." I sigh blissfully. He nods in agreement.

"Good thing the fireworks are keeping everyone else busy, ne?" This time it's my turn to agree, as Deidara's display is still in progress. Kiba glances past my nude body and down to the floor. "Sorry about the lingerie, Aria."

"It's alright, Kiba. I didn't expect to have it very long anyway with you and Kankuro around." I pause and grin while he snickers. "I'm just glad you took your time at first and didn't rip my favorite pants."

"What, the ones I got you?"

"Yeah."

"Right, well, about those…."

"Nani?" I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"It seems the message on your pants is finally right, ne?"


End file.
